Keto Kentucky Derby Pie is an EASY Keto dessert made up of chocolate and walnuts! Whether you are a Derby fan or not, this pie is one to try regardless. A bar of dense and creamy walnut chocolate filling in an almond flour tart crust, this Kentucky Derby Pie is a surefire winner!
As you all know, I love to learn. With the Kentucky Derby quickly approaching, I figured it was due time for me to try some "southern" recipes, fit for the Derby. Being from Canada, southern cooking was something I had never experienced until I moved to Florida.
Shrimp and grits, collard greens, hummingbird cake were all foreign to me when I first moved down South. Although I still have a lot of tasting to do when it comes to the Southern style of cooking, slowly and surely, I am being amazed by "Southern" food!
To me, the Kentucky Derby epitomizes the South. It is a race filled with many traditions - super fast horses, garlands of roses, mint juleps, crazy hats... and Derby-Pie. While most things about the derby are as conspicuous as a funny hat, that pie is shrouded in mystery and supposedly, anyone who knows the recipe is sworn to secrecy!
So today, I decided to try my hand at recreating a gluten free and low carb version of the historic Kentucky Derby Pie.
The History of the Kentucky Derby Pie
Here is what I was able to find after doing some research online.
Alan Rupp, president of Kern’s Kitchen, says the recipe has always been a secret. "Anyone who comes to the shop signs a confidentiality agreement even though they're not privy to the recipe."
The chocolate nut pie comes from the Louisville bakery. It’s been around since 1950 when Alan Rupp's grandparents created the signature dessert for a restaurant they managed. Now, 68 years later, this kitchen, with fewer than ten employees, turns out more than a thousand pies a day.
Besides family members, only one person knows exactly what goes into the pies. That's the production manager and when he's mixing the recipe, he's hidden behind a curtain marked with a sign that says "No one gets in to see the wizard."
But after a few minutes, pie filling is pumped out through a hole in the curtain to be filled in shells and popped in the ovens.
Rupp's grandparents couldn't decide on a name for the pie and put several suggestions in a hat. Derby-Pie was the lucky draw and the name has been so successful, the family had it trademarked in 1968. Several restaurants and bakeries have wound up in court for using the name.
Rupp says, "Anyone can make a Kentucky pie or a Bluegrass pie or any kind of chocolate nut pie. As long as they don't use the trademark to designate their product, we don't have a problem in the world."
That high level of name protection is just another ingredient in the pie's mystique.
"We work hard not to get into litigation,” Rupp said, “but there have been several times we've had to bring in the lawyers and let the courts decide."
The verdict that matters most to Rupp is the one that comes in the court of public opinion. Because demand doubles this time of year, he knows they're doing something right.
He loves it when he’s passing out samples at food shows and sees first-timers come back for more.
His advice?
"I strongly suggest you serve it oven warmed... not microwaved. Oven-warmed is best and that's when everybody comes to play."
He also suggests serving it with a scoop of ice cream or bourbon whipped cream.
How to make this Keto Kentucky Derby Pie
Step 1: Prepare the crust
Follow the steps from my Almond Flour Crust recipe.
Step 2: Prepare the filling
In a small saucepan, melt the butter, stirring until golden brown bits start to form
Let the butter cool slightly and then add in all additional ingredients and pour into the prepared pie crust.
Here is what the pie looked like before it was baked.
And this is what it looked like after baking for 20-25 minutes!
Dense dark chocolate with speckles of roasted walnuts throughout...absolutely delicious!
Substitutions for this Keto Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe:
Walnuts - feel free to use any nut of choice...just make sure that they are not salted and are roasted.
Chocolate - I used 85 % dark chocolate because it is very healthy but feel free to use milk chocolate or Lily's chocolate which is sweetened with erythritol and stevia.
Bourbon - Mr. Grumbles is a bourbon fan so I did add some bourbon but feel free to eliminate for a non-alcoholic version.
If you like this easy Keto Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe, you may also like the following recipes:
- Easy Lemon Meringue Pie (Low Carb, Gluten-Free, Keto)
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten-Free)
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten-Free)
- Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Cake with Banana Almond Butter Frosting (Gluten-Free)
Kentucky Derby Pie (Gluten-Free, Keto)
This Kentucky Derby Pie is the easiest pie to make. Simply make the crust and fill it with some melted butter, roasted walnuts, chocolate and egg and you will have the best pie at the party. Keto and gluten-free!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Ingredients
- 1 almond flour pie crust
- 8 tbsp butter, unsalted
- ⅓ cup Lakanto Golden (or any other brown sugar)
- ⅓ cup stevia (or any other sugar option)
- 2 eggs
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1-2 tablespoon Bourbon (can omit)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 tbsp almond flour
- 100g 85 % dark chocolate, chopped (or any other chocolate of choice)
- 1.5 cups toasted walnuts (or other nuts of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare almond flour crust following this recipe. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Place butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly until brown bits begin to form. (approximately 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Pour butter into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in sugars, then eggs, salt, bourbon (if using) and vanilla. Once combined, add flour and stir until fully incorporated.
- Next, stir in toasted walnuts and chocolate and continue to stir until fully blended.
- Pour into crust and bake for 20-25 minutes. If crust begins to brown to much, tent pie with a piece of aluminum foil.
Notes
- I am too lazy to chop my chocolate so I just add it in chunks. The mixture was hot so most of my chocolate dissolved but I did put it in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt the remaining pieces.
- If you don't have toasted walnuts, simply place the walnuts on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, stirring once during that time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Keto
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 397
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Fat: 39.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.4 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 8.4 g
Linda says
Yummy